God Bless You??

[~Shalhevet~]

Do you think empty words like God bless you after a sneeze, saying thank God and oh my God are taking the name in vain? Many people say these things without heart and meaning. Does that mean they break the commandment?

[Guest LadyC]

no, i don't think so. but when people say "oh my God" or type "OMG", that's taking His name in vain i believe. i always say oh my gosh or type OMgosh... some people would say that's just as bad. i know my mom sees no difference.

i read one time that in the old days, people thought of a sneeze as a mini-death, because you momentarily stop breathing or something... and that when the sneeze was finished and you were breathing again, that's why people said God bless you. other accounts of the phrase's origins are that sneezing was an early symptom of bubonic plague, which killed thousands of people in the 1800s. it wasn't meant vainly, it was meant in total sincerity.

[Believer1997]

Do you think empty words like God bless you after a sneeze, saying thank God and oh my God are taking the name in vain? Many people say these things without heart and meaning. Does that mean they break the commandment?

I don't think saying God Bless you is in itself taking His name in vain.... saying it after a sneeze is a superstition... but. I am amazed at how many people say Oh MY G-d constantly and that I believe is both ignorance and in vain. I say God Bless You to people all the time - if they are sad, upset, ill, etc. I also Thank God all the time for things that others may not - but it's not done in disrespect or to take His name in vain...

God Bless you!!

[turtletwo]

i read one time that in the old days, people thought of a sneeze as a mini-death, because you momentarily stop breathing or something... and that when the sneeze was finished and you were breathing again, that's why people said God bless you. other accounts of the phrase's origins are that sneezing was an early symptom of bubonic plague, which killed thousands of people in the 1800s. it wasn't meant vainly, it was meant in total sincerity.

Regarding the quoted paragraph above...Thanks LadyC. I had never heard the history about the sneezing. Interesting info. I definitely think oh my God or OMG are forms of taking His Name in vain... Just because it is so prevalant today people do it without really stopping to think, I guess. But that still doesn't make it okay. I mean, just because it is popular and the world is constantly doing it. I believe a holy and majestic God deserves our reverence. Including respecting His Name.

[Gerioke]

i read one time that in the old days, people thought of a sneeze as a mini-death, because you momentarily stop breathing or something... and that when the sneeze was finished and you were breathing again, that's why people said God bless you. other accounts of the phrase's origins are that sneezing was an early symptom of bubonic plague, which killed thousands of people in the 1800s. it wasn't meant vainly, it was meant in total sincerity.

Regarding the quoted paragraph above...Thanks LadyC. I had never heard the history about the sneezing. Interesting info. I definitely think oh my God or OMG are forms of taking His Name in vain... Just because it is so prevalant today people do it without really stopping to think, I guess. But that still doesn't make it okay. I mean, just because it is popular and the world is constantly doing it. I believe a holy and majestic God deserves our reverence. Including respecting His Name.

I believe saying Oh my God is minimalizing the majesty of our Lord, however, I don't believe that "God" is actually His name.

[Sir Gareth]

Ibelieve any time you use the name of our Lord flippiantly without truly meaning it, or half heartidly is taking His name in vain.

[~Shalhevet~]

I think you are right. I am going to be very careful with my words from now on. I am guilty of saying these things without meaning.

[Guest yod]

The germans started saying "gesundheit" first which means "spirit of good health"

It was pentecostals in Scotland who first started saying "God bless you" because they thought you lost the Holy Spirit when you sneezed.

At least, that's what i've heard...who knows if it true?

[Believer1997]

I can remember many years ago, one of my brothers brought home a young lady to spend the weekend with our family and we all noticed that she seemed to say "Oh My G-d" as a response to just about anything.... We had been brought up to believe that unless you were having some sort of religious experience and were in the Spirit, so to speak - there was no excuse for making that comment. I can remember there being a lot of eye-rolling and head shaking over this...After several days, my Grandmam, who loved the Lord as almost no one I've ever known and was so kind and gentle spent some time with this girl and as was her habit started talking to her about the Lord. Somehow she conveyed to this young lady, as only she could, that God loves her and that we should be very reverent of His name. They talked for a long time - my Gran was easy to speak with and we all adored her. I remember not too long after this visit - she hugged me and told me that my eye-rolling should be kept to a minimum, as well.... I still have a problem with this....sigh.

[Openly Curious]

The germans started saying "gesundheit" first which means "spirit of good health"

It was pentecostals in Scotland who first started saying "God bless you" because they thought you lost the Holy Spirit when you sneezed.

At least, that's what i've heard...who knows if it true?

yod, this is the same knowledge that I've also heard the only difference was that when they sneezed it was believed that their spirit left their body and also believed if one said, God bless you then their spirit returned again to their body.

Mark 7:6-7

Taking the the name of the Lord in vain is to use it in any manner that is false